Annandale Students, Parents, and Community,

At Annandale, much of our work is grounded in a simple but powerful belief highlighted in The Opportunity Myth: students rise when they are given access to challenging, engaging, grade level work paired with strong support. Researchers followed nearly 4,000 students across five diverse school systems and found something surprising. Despite earning As and Bs, many students were still not fully prepared for life after high school. The reason was not a lack of ability. Too often, students simply were not given consistent opportunities to practice rigorous, grade level work.

The study also found something incredibly hopeful. When students were given access to strong instruction, meaningful support, and engaging, grade level assignments, they made remarkable growth, catching up with peers by nearly eight months. That is the power of high expectations paired with high quality instruction.

The Opportunity Myth helped put research behind something Annandale educators have long believed: students thrive when they are challenged, supported, and given meaningful access to grade level learning every day. At Annandale, our teachers make that happen every single day. They challenge students to think critically, engage deeply, and persevere through meaningful learning experiences. They create classrooms where students are supported academically, socially, and emotionally while still being held to high standards.

Each week, we highlight Annandale students and the colleges and universities they will attend next year. I encourage you to check them out below or explore the full collection on the AHS Decisions Instagram page. As you scroll through those posts, you can see the result of our shared work.

Annandale students are not only gaining admission to competitive colleges and universities, they are thriving once they get there. More importantly, they are leaving Annandale confident, capable, and prepared for whatever path they choose next. Their success reflects the dedication of our staff, the support of our community, and our unwavering belief in the potential of every student.

As always, please reach out if you have any questions.

Shawn DeRose, Principal

Parent Volunteers and Donations Needed! 

The final month of the school year includes several important events and opportunities to support Annandale High School through donations or volunteering. Community involvement helps make these events possible and strengthens the experiences we provide for students. Thank you for considering how you may be able to contribute. Detailed opportunities are listed below.

Now through May 20 - Proctors Needed for IB Exams: Calling all Volunteers! The IB exams are starting soon and we are in need of help to proctor the exams. Volunteers are needed to walk around the testing room occasionally and sit/monitor students. No special training is needed ahead of time. Each testing room will have at least one experienced proctor that will be in charge of administering the test. We just need additional adult supervision. Volunteers must be 21 or older. Bring your driver’s license to check-in at the main office. Dress casually with comfortable shoes! If you are available to assist, please sign up here. Reach out to Linda Bradshaw with any questions.

June 9 - Volunteers Needed for the All Night Grad Celebration: We also need volunteers to support the All Night Grad Celebration! Let's keep the legacy of this amazing event, providing a safe environment for our Seniors to celebrate their graduation. Sign up here to support the day of the event.

Important Dates

May 19 - PTSA Meeting, 7pm
May 20 - PTSA Pantry Distribution, 3:30pm
May 21 - Student of the Month Celebration
May 21-22 - Broadway Desserts, 7pm
May 25 - Memorial Day (No School)
May 26 - Teacher Workday (No School)
May 26 - Academic Coaching
May 27 - Eid al-Adha (No School)
May 28 - Senior Exams Begin
May 28 - Rising 9th Grade Activities Fair
May 30 - Saturday Academic Coaching
June 8 - Graduation Day (Early Release, 10:30am)
June 8 - Graduation, 7pm

May 18-22 - Senior Spirit Week: Join the celebration of your last full week of classes at Annandale High School!
Monday: Black Out + Chalk the Walk - After school, seniors will gather at the main and back entrances of the school to decorate the sidewalks with chalk.
Tuesday: Twin Day - Find a buddy and dress alike as twins!
Wednesday: PJ Day - Wear your PJs
Thursday: Throwback Day + Paint the Spirit Rock - Dress like a previous version of yourself or like another past person. Students will have an opportunity to paint the spirit rock on this day.
Friday: College Decision Shirt - Seniors will wear their college shirts!

May 19 - PTSA Meeting, 7pm: Our next PTSA meeting will be on Tuesday, May 19 at 7:00pm in the library. Spanish translation will be available. If you can't attend in person, consider joining us virtually on Zoom. The link will be active 15 minutes prior to the start of the meeting. 

May 21 & 22 - Broadway Desserts, 7pm: Broadway Desserts will feature all five of the AHS Choirs performing songs from the stage and is a Broadway review of sorts. Both group and individual acts will be featured from auditions held earlier in the semester. The students prepare the music, pick their costumes, and coordinate their choreography for a fantastic evening of entertainment. Please join us on either Thursday, May 21 or Friday, May 22 at 7:00pm in Watson Auditorium! Get your tickets here!

May 28-June 2 - Senior Exams: Seniors will take their Senior Exams during their regularly scheduled class periods on May 28-June 2. Here is the full exam schedule: May 28: W6 & W8; May 29: R5 & R7; June 1: W2; June 2: R1 & R3.

May 28 - June 2 - Senior Laptop and Book Collection: Beginning Thursday, May 28, students who no longer need their FCPS issued laptop can return it at the Main Gym Lobby after each senior exam block. Once students have turned in their laptop and any school-issued books or supplies, they are dismissed from school.

May 25 - Memorial Day (No School): All schools and offices will be closed on Monday, May 25, for the Memorial Day holiday. Learn about the history of Memorial Day. See the complete school year calendar.

May 26 - Teacher Workday (No School): Tuesday, May 26, is a teacher work day. There is no school for students. See the complete school year calendar.

May 27 - Eid al-Adha (No School): Eid al-Adha begins at sundown on Tuesday, May 26. Wednesday, May 27, is a holiday for Eid al-Adha and schools and offices are closed. See the complete school year calendar.

May 28 - What’s in the Backpack Presentation: On Thursday, May 28, from 5:30-7:00pm at the John R. Lewis High School in the Cafeteria. This session is specifically designed for families in the South County, Lewis, Hayfield, and Annandale pyramids to learn about current vaping trends and how to engage in healthy dialogue with their teens about substance use.

Awesome Atoms

Cappies Nominations Recognition: Annandale High School earned seven Cappies nominations across performance and technical theatre categories, recognizing outstanding student achievement in this year’s theatre season. Students will be honored at the Cappies Gala on Sunday, June 7 at DAR Constitution Hall, where award winners will be announced. Annandale students were recognized among more than 60 participating school productions in technical theatre categories and among 32 plays in performance categories, with nominations in five of the nine play performance award categories. These nominations highlight the talent, dedication, and hard work students demonstrated throughout the production season, including their work tackling Shakespeare on stage.

Finish Strong

End of Year Attendance Requirements: The last day of school for underclass students is Wednesday, June 17. With SOL and IB testing in full swing, there is still much going on in our classrooms. Teachers and teams are continuing to plan high quality instruction that will prepare students to be successful not only on final exams, but in the coming years. In some cases, students are working on certifications or other requirements for graduation. All students are expected to attend school each day to complete these activities and finish the year strong.

June 11-16, school will be held from 8:10-11:25am. During this time, students will complete their end of course exams. These culminating activities assess students’ mastery of the standards and skills they have been learning throughout the year.

Final Exams: In each class, the final exam or culminating activity counts for 10% of a student’s grade, regardless of the impact on the final grade. Per FCPS policy, a student whose absence from the final examination or activity is unexcused will receive an F for that examination. Exceptions to this must be approved by the principal. Final exams are not eligible for retakes.

It is important for students to recognize the impact their final exams will have on their grades, and take steps to prepare so they can do their best. In W4 Advisory, we held one-on-one check-ins with each student, reviewing their current grades, and helping them create a plan to prepare.

Now - June 5 - SOL and IB Testing: SOL and IB testing has begun! Here is the link to the detailed IB Testing calendar with arrival time and test duration. Note: IB does not offer make-up exams. SOL testing will continue through June 5. Check out the detailed testing calendar. Students and families receive email notification of test schedules. Students will also receive email reminders the day before their scheduled test. Please encourage students to check their email to find their test information. If you have any questions about your student’s testing schedule, please contact Meg Anderson.

Academic Support & Tutoring Opportunities

Kaplan PSAT & SAT Prep Access: All students in grades 9-11 now have access to Kaplan online PSAT and SAT preparation resources. Students should log in at https://tinyurl.com/FCPSKaplan using their FCPS username and password. Access will remain active through October 31, allowing students to prepare for multiple SAT administrations as well as the October PSAT.

Need Help in Your Class? Stay After School With Your Teacher: Stay With Your Teacher After School! Annandale High School offers late bus transportation three (3) days per week: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. All teachers stay after school at least one day a week to provide academic support for students. Please refer to this list to see which day your student’s teacher is available after school.

Need to Make Up a Test? Sign Up for the Retake Room! To support students in retaking assessments or making up missed assignments, the retake room is located in room 299 at the end of the Social Studies hall. Retakes are available on Late Bus Days after school, and every White Day during PRIDE Time. Students who would like to take advantage of the retake room must work with their teacher to sign up.

Varsity Tutors Provides On-Demand Support at No Cost: FCPS is partnering with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra resources for learning. Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors’ services at no cost, including weekly live online classes; on-demand 24/7 chat tutoring; essay editing; and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests. Learn more about online tutoring with Varsity Tutors.

Saturday Academic Coaching: Annandale teachers will be available on select Saturdays from 8:30am to 11:00am to support students in prioritizing their work, completing outstanding assignments, and facilitating assessment retakes. This is a focused, distraction-free window to get individualized help, improve grades, and stay on track. Academic Coaching sessions will be offered on May 30, June 6, & 13. Reach out to Cass Hersh with questions.

Important Information

SOL Retake Support: At Annandale, we are proud that we have many systems in place to support our students. To that end, when students do not pass their first-attempt SOLs, we double down on our academic support during class time and through PRIDE Time and ASAP to ensure students are successful with additional testing opportunities. Students who qualify for a retake (and their families) will receive an email with information about the retake date as well as the additional support we will provide. Please reach out to your student’s teachers with any questions you may have.

Student Acceptable Use Policy Update: The Department of Information Technology has identified an increase in students using proxy services to bypass school network filters, which violates the Student Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) and impacts network security. In response, enhanced monitoring is now in place to better identify these activities. In the event of a violation, the school will receive notifications from the IT Security Office when a student is identified. Each incident will be reviewed, and appropriate disciplinary action will be applied. Students with repeated violations (3 or more) will require additional follow-up.

Class of 2026 News: Graduation is quickly approaching and we wanted to share important information and dates that will assist seniors, parents and community members in preparing and planning for the end of the school year. Last week we sent out important information in our latest Class of 2026 Newsletter. If you have any questions about upcoming senior events, please contact our senior class sponsors, Erin Mahoney and Chase Cole or our senior class administrator, Jae Lee.

Opportunities

Yearbooks On Sale Now! The yearbook is on sale and at our lowest price! Don’t let the memories fly by! This year, our yearbook is capturing the moment permanently for students and families for years to come! Preorder at yearbookforever.com. This is currently the lowest price that is offered ($95). It is highly recommended to preorder our yearbook as prices will increase for in-person sales and supplies will be limited! If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Vera.

All Night Grad Tickets On Sale Now! Tickets are now on sale for this year’s All Night Grad Celebration, a long-standing Annandale High School tradition made possible by the Annandale High School PTSA and the parent community. This safe, fun, and adult-supervised event is entirely volunteer-run and provides seniors with a memorable way to celebrate together.

The All Night Grad Celebration will take place on June 9, beginning at 11:00 PM, with doors closing at midnight. Tickets are available for $55 but will increase to $65 soon. Students can look forward to great food, games, a DJ, top-notch entertainment, and exciting door prizes, including computers and televisions.

Discounted tickets are available for students in need, and interested students are encouraged to speak with their school counselor for more information. Parent volunteers are also essential to the success of this event, and families are encouraged to sign up to help if they are able. Email Annandale.angc@gmail.com with any questions.

News from Students Services

Longwood EPF Dual Enrollment - Fall 2026: Longwood University will offer Economics & Personal Finance (EPF) Dual Enrollment (DE) for the Fall 2026 semester. This option will transfer back to satisfy the Economics and Personal Finance graduation requirement and will come with a 1.0 GPA bump for a Dual Enrollment Course. The fee is $62.50. This is open to all rising juniors and seniors, and to select students in grades 9 & 10 who meet certain GPA and math readiness requirements. Longwood asks that interested students complete this interest form using a personal email address. The official registration opens in July. Students who register will also need to complete this request form prior to the start of the course in order to have the credit transferred back to FCPS. For more information, please contact your student’s counselor or Erin Crowley.

Earn Credit Toward Graduation This Summer: Take advantage of the opportunity to earn a high school course credit via this summer’s Online Campus program. Registration is now open. Students must register by Friday, June 5. Mathematics, health and physical education, career and technical education, English, science, social studies, and world language courses are available to eligible middle and high school students. For more information, visit this Summer Learning page.

Summer is also an excellent time for high school students to fulfill the Economics and Personal Finance graduation requirement through the self-directed course option. In this format, students work independently to complete all course requirements while maintaining flexibility over the summer months. For additional details and registration information, please visit the Summer Learning information page.

Career and Technical Education and Institute for the Arts Camps: Career and Technical Education camps and Institute for the Arts camps will be held in July at Robinson Secondary School from 8:30am to 2:00pm. Bus transportation will be available from select FCPS middle and high schools. Tuition assistance is available to FCPS families eligible for free or reduced meals.

CTE Summer Academy (CSA) is a week-long enrichment program that allows students in grades 6-11 to dive deeper into CTE program areas, develop skills, and begin career exploration. Watch this video about CTE camps. Registration is open for these programs through Friday, June 5.

Institute for the Arts (IFTA) is a two-week camp for students currently in grades 6-11. Students select from nearly 60 classes in art, dance, music, and theater.